Cognitive ability may decline as a normal consequence of aging. Moreover, a significant population of elderly adults experiences a decline in cognitive ability that exceeds what is typical in normal aging.
Such age-related loss of cognitive function is characterized clinically by progressive loss of memory, cognition, reasoning, and judgment. Mild Cognitive Impairment (MCI), Age-Associated Memory Impairment (AAMI), Age-Related Cognitive Decline (ARCD) or similar clinical groupings are among those related to such age-related loss of cognitive function. According to some estimates, there are more than 16 million people with AAMI in the U.S. alone (Barker et al., 1995), and MCI is estimated to affect 5.5-7 million in the U.S. over the age of 65 (Plassman et al., 2008) There is, therefore, a need for effective treatment for age-related cognitive impairment and to improve cognitive function in patients diagnosed with MCI, AAMI, ARCD and similar age-associated cognitive impairments or at risk of developing them.